PhoneBoy's Personal Bloghttp://phoneboy.info
I am PhoneBoy, this is my personal blog.2015-03-01T09:51:03+09:00ENhourly110Centuries | 15B150Diminishing Returns, a.k.a. The State Of My Investment in App.Nethttp://phoneboy.info/2015/03/01/diminishing-returns-aka-the-state-of-my-investment-in-appnet/
http://phoneboy.info/2015/03/01/diminishing-returns-aka-the-state-of-my-investment-in-appnet/#comments2015-03-01T09:51:00+09:00PhoneBoyc2b69c0729e5ebb61181e3e2a566bf76I've been pretty consistent that I view the monies I've paid to App.Net (ADN) as an investment. However, like every investment, you have to evaluate what you've put into it compared to what you think going to get out of it. Eventually, you come to a decision: do you continue to invest or not?

I know ADN is a whole lot more than Alpha, the thing everyone compares to Twitter. I know ADN as a social platform is superior in many ways to other things out there. It is, unfortunately, lacking in one very critical thing that becomes apparent more and more with each passing day: people who actually use the platform as it was intended.

Plenty of people that used to be on ADN have already made the decision to retreat back to Twitter. I never left Twitter and, as my Alpha stream is showing contributions by fewer and fewer unique voices every day, I am spending more and more time on Twitter and Facebook.

Further, I really don't have any idea what, if anything, the ADN guys are doing beyond keeping the service running. Given the number of people I've seen not renew, I have no idea if the money coming in covers the costs, much less the time it takes to keep things running.

And the other things that ADN is good for that aren't Alpha? Most of the devs that were building apps gave up, mostly because the people just weren't there to justify the effort.

The investment I made in ADN did pay off. I met some great people that I wouldn't have met otherwise, I got exposed to some new technology, and I learned a great deal about myself in the process.

Unfortunately, with the trajectory things are on, and the likelihood that trajectory will change for the better anytime soon, it really doesn't make sense for me to continue to pay for ADN. Sure, $36 a year is not much in the grand scheme of things, but the continued returns on that investment just aren't there.

So, yes, I'm planning to drop to the free tier, but unlike a lot of people who have come to a similar conclusion, I am manually pruning my follow list now to get below the 40 user limit so I know who I'll be following when the time comes. I intend to remain active to the bitter end.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Notes From My Sleep Study...And My Sleepinghttp://phoneboy.info/2015/02/20/notes-from-my-sleep-studyand-my-sleeping/
http://phoneboy.info/2015/02/20/notes-from-my-sleep-studyand-my-sleeping/#comments2015-02-20T22:33:00+09:00PhoneBoy2135d5cba77ce369f3acf10fb23d5361It's going to be another week or so before I am able to see my pulmonologist to discuss treatment options for my sleep apnea, but today I received the notes from the doctor that observed the sleep study I had last week.

What is obstructive sleep apnea? This is when you stop breathing in the middle of the night because your airway is obstructed. This happens because, when you sleep, all your muscles relax, and this includes the muscles in the throat. The soft tissue surrounding these muscles can obstruct your airway. Clearly, this is happening for me.

When you're sick, say, with a cold or a throat-related infection, even people without sleep apnea can have temporary issues with their sleep. This is because things in the mouth and throat are inflamed or have additional mucous that can restrict the airflow. This might be one reason why sleep may not do as much for you when you're sick--you're not able to sleep as well as normal!

One thing that can create or exacerbate issues with sleep apnea is your weight. It might explain why, more than 10 years ago when I was thinner, my snoring wasn't quite as bad and why I feel I'm sleeping better now that I've lost some weight. Being over 40 and having a large neck are also risk factors for sleep apnea.

Some symptoms of sleep apnea also include: hypersomnia (otherwise referred to as excessive daytime sleepiness, something I'm sure I have) and morning headaches. I've had morning headaches on and off for most of my adult life. The last few years, they occasionally turned into migraines, which have thankfully not been an issue in the last 6 months or so.

So what is "mild" sleep apnea versus, say, "severe"? It comes down to the number of events per hour in a given night where you either stop breathing entirely for longer than 10 seconds (apneas) or you breathe more shallowly because your airways is restricted (hypopneas). Per the Harvard Medical School, having more than 30 respiratory events per hour is considered severe sleep apnea. Less than 5 events per hour is considered "normal" (or at least not sleep apnea) with "moderate" sleep apnea being between 15 and 30 events per hour.

The number of events I had per hour? More than 5 but less than 15. That puts me in the mild category. Hopefully, this means anything I can do to treat my sleep apnea will probably help a lot. There are lots of possible treatment options, but the most common one to start with, because it is the cheapest and most effective, is a CPAP machine. Which, as I noted earlier, I already know is in my future.

At various points in my life, I have tried to eat differently in order to lose weight. The only thing I did that approached success was Atkins, but I could not sustain it long term. Many other things I tried either didn't work at all or did only for a very short period of time and probably weren't healthy for me in hindsight.

Now that I know I am diabetic, it turns out a diet lower in carbs is what I need to not risk complications from uncontrolled diabetes. I know that being as hardcore about carbs as when I was on Atkins is simply not realistic, but I can see very clearly in my blood sugar numbers when I have too many of the wrong carbs on any given day.

Lowering my carbs, along with keeping an eye on my caloric intake and being more active has improved my weight situation. So far I'm down about 30 pounds since October, which is nothing to sneeze at, but I could lose a whole lot more.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The official sign-up season for President Barack Obama's health care law may be over, but leading congressional Democrats say millions of Americans facing new tax penalties deserve a second chance. Three senior House members told The Associated Press that they plan to strongly urge the administration to grant a special sign-up opportunity for uninsured taxpayers who will be facing fines under the law for the first time this year. The three are Michigan's Sander Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, and Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, and Lloyd Doggett of Texas. All worked to help steer Obama's law through rancorous congressional debates from 2009-2010. The lawmakers say they are concerned that many of their constituents will find out about the penalties after it's already too late for them to sign up for coverage, since open enrollment ended Sunday.

Even though I don't regularly watch my evening news, I paid attention to enough things to know two things about Obamacare (or what is more formally called the Affordable Care Act):

Obamacare would change the healthcare laws in the United States to allow more people to have health care coverage. Though some may debate that actually happened, I'm not really interested in debating it one way or the other.

Now Obamacare is the law of the land and the very same Democrats who pushed Obamacare through Congress are now realizing what they signed their constituents up for--a tax they may not be aware they have to pay and may only find out about it while filing their federal income tax. And, due to the fact the Open Enrollment period is now closed for ObamaCare health plans, constituents who aren't covered by a health plan have no way to get covered. Democrats are asking for a special enrollment period to give these people a chance to get covered.

I'm not a lawmaker, nor do I play one on TV, but wouldn't anyone reading the bill before it was a law think, maybe, this would have been a good, common sense idea to incorporate? Or even better, making the Open Enrollment period coincide with tax season? Did they think their constituents would be happy with a mandatory tax for choosing not to have healthcare insurance?

Of course, with the Affordable Care Act clocking in at nearly 1000 pages, I doubt any one member of Congress actually read the entire thing, much less could accurately articulate everything it implements. Is it too much to ask to expect our Congress critters to actually read the legislation they vote to pass into law? Are there any other unintended consequences hidden in this law that haven't yet been brought to the surface? I'm sure we'll find out, I just wish we knew before it was the law of the land.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>A Different Type of Sleep Maskhttp://phoneboy.info/2015/02/15/a-different-type-of-sleep-mask/
http://phoneboy.info/2015/02/15/a-different-type-of-sleep-mask/#comments2015-02-15T17:24:20+09:00PhoneBoy36850172b36364314196e43d9fe83668One of the things I don't wear at home, but often carry with me when traveling is a sleep mask. You know the kind. You wear it over your eyes so, maybe, you can fall asleep. I can generally sleep without them but it sends an important signal to my fellow travelers: I'm trying to sleep, let me be. Also, in the quest for shuteye at 35,000 feet, every little bit helps.

However, it turns out I really do need a mask to sleep. Not just at 35,000 feet, but anytime. And not just any mask, but one attached to a CPAP machine.

I generally don't have a problem getting to sleep. However, when I am sleeping, I tend to do so very loudly, as my wife will attest. Not only that, my sleep is not always restful. I'm getting better at sleeping the right amount, but clearly there's a problem.

My doctor recommended a sleep study with a particular pulmonologist in the area. I had a sleep study done some time ago, so I had an idea of what to expect. Back then, it didn't point to any treatable issues, so I had my doubts if any would be found this time around.

Despite not being woken up during my sleep study to wear a CPAP mask, which I was told was a possibility during the study, the pulmonologist called me ahead of our upcoming appointment to tell me I need a CPAP and that I should come in sooner if possible to get started right away. Sadly, between my doctor's vacation and my work travel schedule, the appointment I have already scheduled is the soonest I can see him.

For those who don't know, CPAP means Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. It's a treatment that involves wearing a mask hooked to a machine that forces air into your nose and/or mouth to aid in breathing. It is used to treat sleep apnea (which I clearly have), among other respiratory disorders. This means wearing the mask while I sleep.

I briefly tried two different CPAP masks while I was awake at the sleep study. One mask covers just the nose and the other covers the nose and mouth. There are some variations within these mask types, but generally, you use one type or the other. My preference was a mask that covered both the nose and mouth based on the brief test I did. The pressure on my nose and nasal cavity felt a bit weird in both cases.

One huge issue with CPAP treatment in general is non-compliance, namely patients don't like wearing a mask to sleep. I admit the idea does not appeal to me, but like with many new experiences, I am approaching it with an open mind. Even if doesn't work for me, there are several other options.

However it turns out, I'm looking forward to getting a good nights sleep for the first time in a long time.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>The Skinny Drawerhttp://phoneboy.info/2015/01/17/the-skinny-drawer/
http://phoneboy.info/2015/01/17/the-skinny-drawer/#comments2015-01-17T21:27:20+09:00PhoneBoy81775e248d22ef5f3a62516544ae46c9Back when I started doing Atkins more than 10 years ago, I dropped quite a bit--to the tune of 100 pounds! Naturally, when you drop weight, your clothes need to change to accommodate, so I had clothing at sizes a bit smaller than my current size.

Unfortunately, when I stopped doing Atkins, the weight eventually came back and my clothes no longer fit. Some of the clothes I got rid of due to wear and tear, others I kept, some in my closet, others in a drawer in my dresser.

I've dropped some weight as a result of actively managing my diabetes (eating habits and lifestyle changes). Nowhere near the 100 pounds I dropped on Atkins, but its a start. People have noticed and it feels good. I feel good.

That said, my pants are starting to be too big. And since I'm mostly going to be traveling for the next couple of weeks, I decided to peek in my "skinny drawer" to see if I had anything that might work a little better.

The smallest thing I have in there is a size 44 slacks. That's inches for the non-Americans, and even that is not really "skinny." Compared to where I'm at now, even a size 44 is a huge difference. I also have a couple of pairs of pants at size 48 in there, which I'm not quite small enough to wear just yet but I see me wearing those pants in the not too distant future.

My goal years ago was to get to a size 38, which is about the largest most "normal" stores go. I still think that's an achievable goal but it's going to take a while at this rate.

In short the skinny drawer was a bust. That said it was nice to get a concrete reminder of where I was, and where I know I can be if I keep working at it.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Downright Normalhttp://phoneboy.info/2015/01/16/downright-normal/
http://phoneboy.info/2015/01/16/downright-normal/#comments2015-01-16T08:17:10+09:00PhoneBoye4f35f4762dddb28a877ec43c451ff3dIt has been three months or so since I was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. After I saw the doctor in October, he ordered up a set of blood work to be done in January to see where I was. I did those labs earlier this week, and have results.

While the blood tests checked many different things, the only result I cared about personally was my A1C number. According to the Mayo Clinic [www.mayoclinic.org]:

The A1C test result reflects your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Specifically, the A1C test measures what percentage of your hemoglobin — a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen — is coated with sugar (glycated). The higher your A1C level, the poorer your blood sugar control and the higher your risk of diabetes complications.

So what should the number be?

For someone who doesn't have diabetes, a normal A1C level can range from 4.5 to 6 percent. Someone who's had uncontrolled diabetes for a long time might have an A1C level above 8 percent.

When the A1C test is used to diagnose diabetes, an A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates you have diabetes. A result between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes.

The number I had in October was 7.9. This week: 6.3. This is a very good sign what I'm doing to keep my diabetes under control is working.

This week in particular my blood glucose tests have been in the upper end of the "normal" range. 96 mg/dL for pre-meal, 107 mg/dL after.

Sadly I suspect this will not remain the case as I will be traveling on and off for the next couple of weeks. Unusual food and different eating patterns always makes for higher blood sugars.

The only other notable result from my blood tests was my LDL cholesterol, which was below the normal range. I guess when you take statins and already had normal cholesterol levels, that's bound to happen.

That and I appear to be sleeping better, so all things considered, I feel downright normal for a change.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>A Small Portion To Be Politehttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/20/a-small-portion-to-be-polite/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/20/a-small-portion-to-be-polite/#comments2014-12-20T11:05:00+09:00PhoneBoy19cc6c357dc3d14f3410910f8009d3adBack when I was attempting to do the Atkins diet 10+ years ago, I pretty much didn't eat anything with carbs in it. It worked really well for losing weight, but after a while, it got harder and harder to do. Because, let's face it, carbs are tasty.

Now that I have diabetes, I have a somewhat different view of carbs: carbs can kill. Not immediately of course, which is the problem. The main problem for me: my body is not efficient at breaking down sugars in my blood. When it remains high over a period of time, different parts of the body start having issues. I'm sure my high blood pressure, swollen feet, and migraines are all related to it, and they have been much better since I started getting treatment.

But the reality is: swearing off all carbs is next to impossible. First of all, they are everywhere in everything. Second of all, cravings for particularly carby things are sometimes difficult to overcome, especially if you've been repeatedly denying yourself.

So, I try and have some once in a while. A small portion to be polite. Often times I find it wasn't nearly as good as I thought it was going to be. Especially when I see the impact to my blood sugar a couple hours later.

At the end of the day, if I'm going to have something I know isn't good for me and it doesn't taste good, what's the point? But then again, now that I know what the negative impact is and I can even see an indicator of it right away, maybe that's playing a role in how I feel about how it tastes.

Will I find something really worth it? Not sure but I'm gonna keep trying. Because I already know not trying ultimately results in failure. Now that I know what's truly at stake, failure is simply not an option.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Post Nine Hundred... At Least On This Bloghttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/15/post-nine-hundred-at-least-on-this-blog/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/15/post-nine-hundred-at-least-on-this-blog/#comments2014-12-15T08:57:00+09:00PhoneBoy54b7f18c35af444182d089a0625e7db4The one thing I see on 10 Centuries that I haven't seen on Posthaven is: the number of blog posts I have in a blog. Apparently, this is post 900 for this blog. Which is sad because I have more than 3200 on phoneboy.com, some dating back to the 1990s (note this also includes nearly 730 episodes of the PhoneBoy Speaks podcast).

Clearly, I put a lot of stuff on the Internet. In the grand scheme of things, it is probably all for naught as it will all get lost in the noise of everyone else's postings or the great EMP pulse that will take out all electronics everywhere.

Kinda depressing, if i think about it too much.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Green Pill Reduxhttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/green-pill-redux/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/green-pill-redux/#comments2014-12-14T22:20:00+09:00PhoneBoyde8f57c5eaa3e651587d43468f4071f4It's been a little more than a week since I got new blood pressure medication. I've been checking my blood pressure periodically, and sure enough, it's crept back into the hypertension levels. Not as high as it was (yet), but I'm definitely concerned.

So, of course, I checked the Internet and found this little gem [www.drugs.com]:

It may take 3 to 6 weeks of using losartan before your blood pressure is under control. For best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 3 weeks of treatment.

Fantastic. It's been a little over a week since I changed medication. Hopefully this will resolve itself in the next couple weeks, if not, back to the doctor...

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Welcome to the New and "Improved" phoneboy.infohttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/welcome-to-the-new-and-improved-phoneboyinfo/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/welcome-to-the-new-and-improved-phoneboyinfo/#comments2014-12-14T20:41:20+09:00PhoneBoyc53da77c43e53cfa4eb709030844b750I followed through on previous threats and I've moved my personal blog onto 10 Centuries. Thanks to some handiwork by Jason, other than the temporary DNS hiccups that occur with these changes, you shouldn't notice a thing. All the previous URLs should work as before.

The one benefit I get from the current 10 Centuries platform is that, when you search on this site, it will also search all of my App.Net postings (which I've had quite a lot of) as well as recent tweets (starting from around 20 November 2014). Hopefully when Jason gets 10Cv3 launched, I'll be able to import my entire Twitter archive and have that searchable as well.

Another benefit with this new arrangement is that it allows me to blog using App.Net private messages, which ends up being fairly convenient as I can use Drafts to craft the post and send it to Chimp, which will get it to 10 Centuries. The downside to that approach is I'm limited to 2,048 characters which isn't the end of the world.

Meanwhile I posted several blog posts in anticipation of having my blog moved over to 10 Centuries. I didn't advertise them because the URL for those posts were going to change, so I just wrote them and figured I'd let folks know about them once the changeover occured. If you care, here they are:

Meanwhile a few of my other blogs will also move over to the 10 Centuries platform in the very near future.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>It's End Of The Season As We Know It, And I Feel Finehttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/its-end-of-the-season-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/14/its-end-of-the-season-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine/#comments2014-12-14T18:27:10+09:00PhoneBoybcaa1ad1a9d41e90b7ecc24e6d410806As I expected, the 49ers lost to Seattle in Seattle. And since Detroit won, the 49ers are out of the NFL playoff picture for 2014. And you know what? I feel fine.

Sure, I would have loved to see the 49ers compete for another Lombardi trophy, but the Quest for Six will have to wait another year. With all the injuries suffered during the Seahawks game, the penalties (some questionable), and the poor execution and play calling, it just wasn't meant to be.

I came to terms with the fact the 49ers weren't making the playoffs last week after the Raiders loss. Given how bad the Raiders have played this year, there was no reason they shouldn't have walked out of O.co Colosseum with a win.

Of course, as much as I enjoy watching the 49ers win, and I occasionally feel depressed when they lose, I have to remember: it's just a game. Whether they win or lose, it does not materially change my life. I still have my family, my health (which is generally improving), and everything else that's important. It also doesn't change my faith in the team.

I'll enjoy the last two 49er games of the season and go back to whatever it is I do when it's not football season, which is: live my life.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>The Green Pillhttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/08/the-green-pill/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/08/the-green-pill/#comments2014-12-08T22:21:10+09:00PhoneBoybe7eecf9f0a209d56ccbcbe80a72bdacWhen I asked my doctor for different medication for my high blood pressure, he gave me Losartan. As usual, the potential side effects [www.drugs.com] are always a frightening read, making me wish I had taken better care of myself when I was younger.

One of the side effects listed there, of course, is a cough, very much like the cough I have when taking Lisinopril. I still have it, but it seems better than before. Still have to drink a bit of water to keep from coughing too much.

Unfortunately it takes a while for the drugs to reach their full effect and I can already see my blood pressure numbers creeping back up while my body adjusts to the new medication.

On the plus side, my blood sugar has been below 100 mg/dL for the last few days. At least that's going right.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Oh Christmas Treehttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/05/oh-christmas-tree/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/05/oh-christmas-tree/#comments2014-12-05T21:21:20+09:00PhoneBoy033c4885f43e847e234ebe362e66e8abIt's that time of the year when, at least in this part of the world, many people are putting up their Christmas trees. Personally, I could do without Christmas, but the family likes it.

To be perfectly honest; I don't remember too many Christmas trees as a young child. Oh sure they were there most years. Because I was with my mom one year and my dad the next and they both moved regularly, there just wasn't anything I could consistently remember.

I did remember a couple of trees from Hawaii. Typically, an evergreen-type tree is used for this, but those are exceptionally hard to come by in Hawaii. And they were pretty expensive. While we did a "Christmas Palm" a couple of years, my stepfather "won" a real Christmas tree one year, which of course we put up. But beyond some lights and maybe a few ornaments, none of which I remember particularly, that was that.

Now, with a family, we have boxes of ornaments that my wife has acquired or the kids have made for us over the years. Surely, there are memories associated with each one for my wife and/or kids. I recognize most of the ornaments, of course, but most of them hold little memories for me and just feel overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Maybe forgetting all the Christmas trees is my coping mechanism for that...

Like today, both of my blood sugar readings were under 100 mg/dL. I'm certainly not eating no carbs but I'm not pigging out on them either.

The treadmill my wife found from someone who lives a couple streets away was a real find at $20. It's not in the best shape but it works. This means I can walk indoors when the elements are working against me outdoors. I walked a good 40 minutes today, worked up a nice sweat, and was able to proceed straight to the shower.

I even ended the day well below my target calorie range. Not intentionally but that's how it seems to have worked out.

All in all its been a good day for my blood sugar. Maybe today is a reflection of the good work I've been doing to manage it. I'm hoping numbers in this ballpark are the new normal.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>The 49ers "Crisis"http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/04/the-49ers-crisis/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/04/the-49ers-crisis/#comments2014-12-04T10:14:10+09:00PhoneBoy16dedc051b569460182885928a32074aMany of us 49ers fans have high expectations for the team. It comes with the rich legacy the team has had, not to mention the last few years where the 49ers were in the NFC Championship game and a Super Bowl. No, the Lombardi trophy was not brought back to the Bay Area in 2012 (first loss in a Super Bowl), but still, there is an expectation among 49ers fans that the team is usually in the playoff hunt.

Of course, that ignores the fact that a lot of the playoff activity was in the 1980s and 1990s. The 2000s, quite frankly, were terrible. I wasn't football aware in the 1970s, and wasn't alive before that, so I can't comment much on that.

This year, 2014, the team is not doing so well. Not by most teams standards, of course, who would probably be really happy with a 7-5 record, but by 49ers standards, it's not so great. The offense is absolutely anemic this year. The 7 wins this year has occurred because the defense has been nothing short of outstanding, despite all the talent currently on injured reserve (Bowman, Willis, etc). Special teams is also not that special right now.

Among 49er fans, there is a lot of finger pointing about who is to blame. The most vocal bunch are ones who are clamoring for the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Some are starting to blame head coach Jim Harbaugh. There's also folks calling for the replacement of quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

I'm in none of those camps, at least not yet. Unlike a lot of fans, I remember that, even during the dynasty years, the 49ers played some really bad football games. Yes, five Superbowls were won, but 13 playoff games were lost between the years of 1981 and 2002. A few of those losses were ugly, too.

And then there was the 1991 season where, despite a 10-6 record, the 49ers didn't make the playoffs at all. I don't recall anyone demanding that then head coach George Siefert or then offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren be fired, but of course this was before the Internet Outrage Machine existed. Beyond the newspapers and the conversations you had with your friends, this kind of rhetoric was simply hard to come by. That said, Mike Holgrem went onto coach the Green Bay Packers the following year.

I know we are all passionate about this team, we want them to win, and we all think we know the best way to make that happen. The fact is, the 49ers will not necessary hear, or do, anything we say. The team at all levels is very aware of their situation with respect to making the playoffs. They understand what is at stake and they understand they must execute at the highest level from here on out to have a shot at a Lombardi.

And if they don't win? Changes will surely be made for next year in order to improve the 49ers chances for a Lombardi. Even if they do win, changes will be made next year because of the draft, injuries, free agency, or whatever. Either way, things will change next year. Arguing over the minutia of what those changes should be? Not my thing, personally.

Meanwhile, I'm not worried about the "crisis." I'm looking forward to the next game.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>So Yeah, That Cough I Havehttp://phoneboy.info/2014/12/02/so-yeah-that-cough-i-have/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/02/so-yeah-that-cough-i-have/#comments2014-12-02T23:19:10+09:00PhoneBoy99b79c5643a18541d6ed98e1e26611fbI've had this little cough for the last month or so. Seems like my throat is occasionally dry. Sometimes it turns into a coughing fit, which is quite unpleasant.

My wife pointed this out to me today and told me it was a common side effect of Lisinopril, the drug I'm taking to lower my old pressure. Sure enough, it is [www.everydayhealth.com]:

Common side effects of lisinopril include:

Cough

Dizziness

Headache

Extreme tiredness

Nausea

Diarrhea

Weakness

Sneezing

Runny nose

Low sex drive

Rash

Serious side effects can also occur. If you have any of these side effects, call your doctor right away:

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Going All In With 10Centuries?http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/01/going-all-in-with-10centuries/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/12/01/going-all-in-with-10centuries/#comments2014-12-01T20:20:20+09:00PhoneBoy71e39597e63533973fbda5228e0ff792It seems every few years or so I get tired of whatever blogging or content management system I've been using and I try something else. And, of course, every time I do it, I swear this is the last time I'm doing this.

And yet I do it. Again and again and again. I've actually lost track of everything I've tried, but it included the ever popular Wordpress and I'm even using Jekyll for my main phoneboy.com site because it gave me the most control with the least server overhead.

But it sucks, it all does. And quite frankly, I have better things to do with my time than to try and move things between various content management systems, which have all sucked in various ways.

Ignoring the content management systems themselves for a moment, let's also look at the cost. Sure there are "free" services out there, but do you want someone else's ads all over your content? Do you trust that company will be around in a few years? Do you trust what that company might do with your data?

And while I'm thinking of conventional blog-like content, I'm also thinking of microblogging content. I've put quite a lot of data into Twitter and App.Net over the last several years. Who knows how Twitter will change their Terms of Service or their public API to the point where I'll even want to use the service anymore. And App.Net? It was a nice idea but, sadly, the lights may still be on there, but it's hard to know if anyone's home or not.

And Facebook? I don't even know what to say there, but I've given up trying to manage my privacy settings on Facebook. I just assume everything I post there is public. I also try and post as little content there as possible, as I know it's basically a roach motel.

Basically, I'm tired of it all. I just want to put all my stuff in one place, have it go everywhere everyone else is, and at the end of day, know that I have control over the original copy of said content and actually own it, unlike with the other services, that is not entirely clear.

Have you heard of 10Centuries? Unless you've been on App.Net, you've probably never heard of it. The mission of 10Centuries is simple: "ensuring all of our content is readily available and readable by future generations." And no ads. Ever. Those are principles I can get behind.

Will it last 10 centuries as the name implies? Who knows. I know nothing lasts forever, especially anything that man makes. But I gotta respect someone with the gumption to try.

10Centuries will handle most of my blogging needs for the time being, which are pretty meager. What about the social networks? Version 3 of 10Centuries will hopefully solve some of those pain points once released. Meanwhile, I can import all my Twitter and App.Net stuff so it's searchable on this site.

Hopefully, in a few days, most of the blogs I have on Posthaven will move over to 10Centuries. I have a couple of other, static websites that are not appropriate for 10 Centuries. I opted to move those off of Dreamhost and onto 123systems, which has a reasonably cheap CPanel type hosting setup for websites and email as well as a virtual private system which will host phoneboy.com. Amazon will be my backup solution of choice, mostly because of the pricing on Glacier, but the flexibility of S3 is also a bonus.

So I guess I'm not going all in with 10Centuries, but I'm certainly consolidating and 10Centuries is part of my plan.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Amazing What Blog Posts Get Tractionhttp://phoneboy.info/2014/11/23/amazing-what-blog-posts-get-traction/
http://phoneboy.info/2014/11/23/amazing-what-blog-posts-get-traction/#comments2014-11-23T21:28:10+09:00PhoneBoy5309a983618ea08d887f10acaf1b429bI'm looking to move some of my blogs over to the 10 Centuries platform and, for kicks, I decided to look through the hit counts on some of my blog posts on my personal blog, currently hosted at Posthaven. A number of posts had a high hit count from when they existed at Posterous, which is where I imported some of the posts from. But a couple really got some traction:

Namely, that these devices are sold under the Gillette model. Except rather than give away the razors and make money off the blades, it's glucometers and test strips. Same idea, though.

The Accu-Chek Aviva strips cost me $25 for 50. And that's after the insurance pays their share (whatever it is). If I want to get more, say, before a long trip and I'm not "due" for more, well, I have to fight with the insurance company to get them at that price or pay the out-of-pocket cost, which is a hell of a lot more than $25.

Needless to say, I was looking for a cheaper solution. Also, it'd be nice if I could get something that would also send the data right to my iPhone where I'm tracking it.

That's all fine and good, but what really attracted me to these glucometers: the price of the strips. At $12.50 for a box of 50 (two vials of 25 each), it's half the price of what my Accu-Check Aviva strips cost. Better yet, I don't have to deal with my insurance company if I need more, I can just order them from iHealth Labs and they'll arrive in a few days.

I ordered a new iHealth Wireless Smart Gluco-Monitoring System and a couple boxes of test strips in early November. Given they are based in Mountain View, CA and ship UPS Ground, it only took a few days to ship once the items came in stock ﻿which I knew when I ordered. I ordered before my recent trip to South Africa, so the "extra long" shipping time wasn't an issue for me.

When the meter and strips arrived, I of course tested myself using both meters. The iHealth one was giving me very different results. When I looked at the strips a bit more closely, I noticed that the strips I had been shipped were going to expire on 2 January 2015--less than 60 days away.

Another dark secret of blood glucose meters: they're not as accurate as, say, a blood test. They are good for getting a general idea of where your blood sugar is at, which is the reason your doctor tells you to use one. That said, different meters should give you similar results (within a few mg/dL of each other). When they're off by tens of mg/dL as I was seeing, something is probably wrong.

Given where my blood glucose is averaging, which is 117 mg/dL over a 30 day period, consistently higher test results could mean I test ok on the iHealth meter when, in fact, my blood sugar is actually at hypoglycemic levels.

I contacted iHealth Labs customer service via email. I asked for a bottle of the control solution, which is used to verify the meter and strips are working correctly (it has a set amount of glucose in it) and a box of strips with a later expiration date since there was no way I could use the strips I had ordered before they expired. I got a return email saying both should arrive in a few days.

Meanwhile I continued to periodically test with both my Accu-Chek and the iHealth meter. The iHealth results were consistently at least 20 points higher than my Accu-Chek, sometimes much higher.

I finally got the new box of strips in the mail today, but no control solution. My Accu-Chek strips are starting to run out and I really don't want to get another vial of those at $25 a pop, so I decided to test with iHealth using a strip from the new box I just received to see if it's a problem with the strips I had originally received.

On this test, the iHealth result was about 5 mg/dL ﻿lower﻿ than the Accu-Chek one. I tested with strips from both of the older boxes of iHealth test strips and the results were more than 40 points higher than the Accu-Chek number. This suggests I got a bad batch of test strips.

I just sent another email to iHealth Labs customer service. Hopefully they'll send me another box of strips and, this time, a bottle of the control solution.

Bottom line: if you're going to change blood glucose meters for one reason or another, make sure you test with ﻿both﻿ meters for a while to ensure the results are similar before completely ditching your old meter. Also, make sure to get the control solution for your meter.

I plan on doing a full review of the iHealth Wireless Smart Gluco-Monitoring System on a future episode of PhoneBoy Speaks.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Carry That Weighthttp://phoneboy.info/carry-that-weight-1
http://phoneboy.info/carry-that-weight-1#comments2014-11-20T18:50:00+09:00PhoneBoyc1a7b57b21745cf4da08893fb03d5d0eEarlier this week, I went to the doctor to follow-up on the high blood pressure I had. Thanks to medication and the other changes I've made, it is now very close to the normal range. This is good news.

The other change I've noticed is my weight. Since I started tracking a month or so ago, I've dropped about 15 pounds. Not that I'm trying to lose weight, but I guess with the dietary changes I've had to make, the natural result is: less calories consumed. This along with the increase in activity means I'm losing weight.

My blood sugar, meanwhile, has mostly settled into a normal range after returning from South Africa, with a 7 day average of 116 mg/dL.

Hopefully these trends will continue as we enter the holidays.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Different Strokes for Different Diabetic Folkshttp://phoneboy.info/different-strokes-for-different-diabetic-folks
http://phoneboy.info/different-strokes-for-different-diabetic-folks#comments2014-10-31T16:27:00+09:00PhoneBoy65b8e883e5157b8c2819e2b09a0fbac5As I've been finding others on the Internet that also have Diabetes, I've got a few different observations. They're probably simplistic and obvious, but here goes:

A lot of people have diabetes, including people I know. I keep finding out about more of them every day.

There is no shortage of information about Diabetes on the Internet or from your doctor, some good some bad.

There are a few different "types" of diabetes. It's not just Type 1 and Type 2. Regardless, of the reasons or the treatments used, it's ultimately about getting your blood sugar down to a normal level.

What works for one person won't necessarily work for another. Everyone responds differently to different things (see previous point).

A lot of folks have it way worse than I do. I'm on the Internet whining about numbers that are not that far above normal when some people have numbers that are downright dangerous, for example one of the comments on my last post on Facebook.

Diabetes is expensive once you find out you have it. I feel bad for those who don't have health insurance because even with insurance, the supplies you need to monitor and maintain your blood sugar gets pricey.

Monitoring, testing, and keeping track of your food intake and activity is the best way to figure out what's working for you and what's not. Right now, my doctor has me testing twice a day. I try to do it: in the morning before I eat, and two hours after some meal during the day. I'll either do it after dinner or, if I have something unusual for lunch, after that. On a few days, I've tested three times in a day.

I'm sure I'll have more to say on this. :)

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Morning Has Broken...My Blood Sugarhttp://phoneboy.info/morning-has-broken-dot-dot-dot-my-blood-sugar
http://phoneboy.info/morning-has-broken-dot-dot-dot-my-blood-sugar#comments2014-10-30T18:19:00+09:00PhoneBoyfee0b1da6698714bd9f03b715f5ecfb9You'd think when you wake up in the morning, wouldn't have above normal blood sugar readings when, the night before, they were normal. Unfortunately, it can and does happen, especially in people with Diabetes.

It's happened to me--the fasting numbers were higher than I went to bed with. You'd think I was sleepwalking down stairs, going into my pantry, and eating a slice or two of bread. Which actually sounds pretty good right now, but I know what it will do to my blood sugar.

Welcome to the dawn effect, caused by the liver dumping glucose into the blood overnight. The hormones that are believed to cause the liver to do this (including cortisol, glucagon, epinephrine) are also believed to give rise to insulin resistance. The end result: your body is unable to process the excess glucose in your blood stream, which of course means elevated blood sugar.

I do not experience this every morning.A diabetes site in the UK suggests this spike occurs 8 to 10 hours after going to sleep, which explains why on the mornings where I did observe this, I slept later than usual.

One of the possible solutions to this problem includes a late-night low-carb snack. Mixed nuts seem to be my go-to snack. We'll have to do some more science and see.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>Feeling Groovyhttp://phoneboy.info/feeling-groovy
http://phoneboy.info/feeling-groovy#comments2014-10-29T05:38:00+09:00PhoneBoy4f740fb36a80500f6831ccb3c4b193c4Today, I went to go see the Diabetes Dietitian to learn what I need to eat. Seems kind of silly since I think I've figured out what I need to eat--and avoid--but I am satisfying my doctor's treatment plan. This visit included also had to share what I had been eating over the last week or so, what my blood sugar readings were, have I been exercising, how much how often, and so on.

The prognosis: I could eat some more carbs--healthy ones, obviously--more green vegetables overall, and a little less fat. But so far, so good. I even had normal, non-diabetic blood sugar when I woke up this morning-100 mg/dl. I checked a couple of other times during the day. My numbers were 115 mg/dl mid-afternoon and 126 mg/dl a couple hours after dinner.

Clearly that's only one day, but it's a start. And overall, I feel better than I have in quite a while. I think I'm sleeping better, too. All of this has me feeling pretty groovy right now.

Copyright 2015 - PhoneBoy's Personal Blog
]]>I Feel Like A Numberhttp://phoneboy.info/i-feel-like-a-number
http://phoneboy.info/i-feel-like-a-number#comments2014-10-24T04:00:00+09:00PhoneBoy65504a8591626ec50fed210ed11d8fcbLike the old Bob Seger song, I have my moments where I feel like a number--insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Right now, however, how I'm feeling is defined by a number: my blood sugar.

As I'm trying to figure out exactly how to keep my blood sugar at an even keel in a world full of food that mostly puts it on a roller coaster, I've experienced a gamut of emotions. Happy that I know what's causing some of the issues I've experienced. Sad that eating bread, rice, or potatoes is something that I know will spike my blood sugar. Frustrated when I make a bad dietary choice and can see and feel the result.

I know eventually I'll get enough data--and experience--to know what works and what doesn't, which will ease some of the anxiety I'm currently experiencing.

Sadly, though, this is not the only number I have to worry about. I'm also monitoring my blood pressure which is also high and likely related to the diabetes. Hopefully treating one, along with meds, will help the other. My numbers have gone down since my doctor's visit last month, which is a good thing.

The one number I am happy about so far is the amount of walking I've done: at least 30 minutes a day almost every day for the last week. This is going to get more challenging to do as the weather gets increasingly worse around these parts, but I managed to walk during a rain break this afternoon and thus stayed mostly dry.

The other number I'm happy about is the number of calories I've consumed. It's not an exact science, but at least it doesn't appear I'm eating more than I should. Leaving out all the bread and rice has really helped my cause there.

Maybe all these numbers aren't so bad. I certainly didn't get this way overnight and I won't get better overnight either. I need to keep this in perspective.